The Smart Cookie Substitution
by twentythirty
Summary: The plan was simple, really. Penny would finish her studies as a criminologist while Kurt would become a cop. But cheating boyfriends, student loans and life send her on a ride she doesn't understand - until she does. AU! Eventual Shenny.
1. Chapter 1

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 **The Smart Cookie Substitution**

you can paint me any colour and I can be your clown

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Penny looks up from her copy of the lease, smiling brightly at the chubby man in front of her.

She's pretty sure he's already regretting his decisions - there are a lot of things that come with being a student , but a reliable source of income is not one of them.

Her new apartment is sure to take a big chunk of the small salary she earns working as a waitress, but her name is the only one signed on the paper and it feels good to have something that it just hers (and not a loan). She hopes her smiles eases up her new landlord and let's him see that she's a responsible twenty-two year old.

It doesn't, but she'd rather smile and wear bright colours then to tell herself that she doesn't have a boyfriend anymore, that the money she'll receive from her loan will drop now that she's picked up extra shifts at the Cheesecake Factory or that her ex (who cheated, mind you) won't even give her back her TV.

"Here are your keys and if you have any question…" Her eyes sparkle and for a second, he pauses. "Don't hesitate to call me or my wife." He turns his back towards her before adding. "At reasonable hours, of course." She nods, even if he can't see her and mutters a quick 'thank you' before hurrying out of his house. She's intelligent enough to know when she is being dismissed. Penny jingles the new set of keys from her tanned fingers and hops into her car – she tries to remember how she got here in the first place.

She could've chosen any school close to Nebraska, it would have been easy and convenient (but Penny will never settle for easy and convenient).

Her mom was so devastated when she'd received her acceptance letter from California State University (she'd carefully hidden her applications under her bed, in an old shoe box). Penny is smart, really smart considering her family background; which doesn't mean much. Her brother cooks meth and her sister got pregnant when she was sixteen, but Penny had dreams and drive and imagination. She'd wanted to be an actress when she was younger, but an episode of Law and Order had changed all that.

She wanted excitement and thrill – chasing wanted criminals across the country or even understanding crime scenes was something she'd see herself do. Always on the move, no real roots and owning a gun, all things that appealed to her (and home, she wanted to forget about home).

Her father was so proud to have one of his children in university, actually doing something with her life that he'd eventually convinced her mother that it was for the best.

And then Penny, beautiful and smart and only eighteen, packed her bags and got into a car with Kurt (who dreamt of being a policeman, all tall and dark and mysteriously handsome) and started the next chapter of her life in fancy Pasadena – because that's where the cheapest apartments were apparently (but she didn't care, because it wasn't Omaha).

But then one day, after a particularly long shift at the Cheesecake Factory and a four hour class, she'd gotten home to find Kurt with a pretty brunette underneath him and dreams and drive and imagination had all been shot to hell. She'd packed a bag in a rush, tears running down her cheek and called her dad, while her head smashed against the headboard a few hundred times.

And now, two weeks later, here she is. In front of 2311 Los Robles, keys in hand and the back of her car stuffed with as much suitcases and boxes she could fit. She holds the lease in one hand, continues to jingle the keys with her fingers (a nervous habit she'd perfected over the years) and takes a deep breath.

She can do this – because if she can be the only one in her family who doesn't cook meth in back alleys or settles down with the first asshole who comes her way and knocks her up, if she can get out of Nebraska and make it all the way to Los Angeles and be on the way to finish her Master's Degree in criminalistics, then there's nothing she can't do.

Except maybe move all her furniture four flights of stairs without an elevator.

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"Oh, I'm sorry." The man in front of her is short, with large glasses and curly hair. He smiles tensely at her, anxiety clear in his movement as she balances an open box with her right leg and her two hands. She'd bumped into him by accident and the box is very heavy, but he doesn't look like he'll be moving out of her way anytime soon.

"Are you new here?" She tries to keep her annoyance at bay and she's sure that her cheeks are flushed from running up and down the stairs at least six times now.

"Yeah, if you don't mind my box is really heavy." She tries to be sweet and even smiles, but it's no time to be flirting right now and even if it was, the man in front of her is clearly not her type. He smiles back, uneasy.

"I can help, here." He grabs the box away from her hands and she's curious because he doesn't look like the 'I have muscles and can carry things up four flights of stairs' kind of person. "Where are you going?" He's clearly struggling with weight and for a second, she misses Kurt because he'd carry all of it with ease, but she shakes her head and smiles.

"4B." He smiles at her. "Where do you live?"

"I'm in 4A with my roommate." She nods and wants to scratch the back of her head because this whole situation is really awkward. But Penny is many things and reading people is what she does – so she sends him a charming smile.

If he wants to help out, she won't tell him otherwise.

"Well, you can go ahead. The door is opened; you can leave the box on the floor. I'll be right up with more stuff." His stare lingers on her, but the box is rather heavy and he nods before starting slowly towards the stairs. She sighs and opens the door of the apartment building, making her way back towards her car.

"I'm Leonard by the way." She smiles, she's been doing that a lot the last few minutes. The way the small bespectacled man looks at her is tainted with lust and wishful thinking. At least he knows he doesn't have a shot – but it doesn't make this any less awkward.

"Penny." He smiles at her name and she almost expects a pick up line – almost. "Okay, well thanks for everything." He didn't help much, but her momma raised her well.

"Come by for dinner if you want, I see you don't have a fridge yet. On me – and you'll meet my roommate." He adds as an afterthought, like it's not really something he wants her to do. If he's already calling dibs on her, then he's more forward than he looks. But he looks nice enough and she actually has no plans for dinner, so why not?

"Sure. What time do you want me there?" She doesn't mean to come on to him, but she can't help it. She's flirty by nature, it comes with the blonde hair and the charming smile and the body, she does have a nice body.

"Around six." When he doesn't move, she raises an eyebrow. "Right, see you later." He turns to give her one last glance before stepping out and shutting the door behind him. She sighs and looks at the mess. Her new bed won't be in till tomorrow and her TV is on back order (it was on sale, Kurt kept the last one and she sure as hell won't crawl back begging for it or anything). She has to go shopping for cutlery and other things that can be found at IKEA.

She's making a mental list of things she needs to buy, thinks about how much this will all cost her and just wants to curl up on her couch and watch CSI, because it always cheers her up. Her cellphone vibrates on top of the island in the kitchen and she smiles sadly at the caller ID.

"Hey dad."

"Hey Slugger. How's the move?" She looks at the open boxes scattered across the floor, the clear lack of furniture and the overall sense of dealing with more than she can handle. She's only twenty-two, she's just started her Masters Degree and her boyfriend cheated on her with she doesn't know how many women and she misses her dad.

"It's okay." Her voice is small and she feels like crying again. It's just been a rough couple of weeks, okay? And from living in a hotel room and rushing back and forth from school to work, she's tired and stressed.

"I just wanted to call and tell you not to worry about money." Her eyes go wide and she's about to protest, but her father doesn't give her the chance to say anything. "Penny, your mother and I are proud of you." Well maybe him more than her, because her mother always dreamt small and her father had wanted her to get out. "I already put the money in your bank account. How's school?"

She feels the tears rolling down her cheeks and she tries to keep her sobs down to a minimum as she explains one of her classes to her father. She can do it, right?

She can do it all.

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"Hi, how are you?" She'd taken a quick shower, pulled her wet hair into a loose braid that falls on her right shoulder, put on her comfiest shorts and a blue tank top to match her flip flops before realizing that she was going to be late if she didn't hurry. She's managed to clean the closet in her room and hang up a few of her nice dresses, but she is still missing quite a bit of furniture.

"I'm good. Here, come on in." She smiles at him, he's still awkward and tense, but at least it's easier now. He's probably a little slow with women. She doesn't mind.

"Sheldon, this is Penny." She stops dead in her tracks at the equations written on the white board – she can't understand any of it, really. But the tall man turns to look at her, his hand with the marker in it twitching slightly and he doesn't smile. But she does meet his eyes and she thinks they're probably the deepest shade of blue she's ever seen, only accentuated by the darkness of his hair. Her gaze shifts back to the board and she let's out a low whistle.

"You are very talented to understand all of this." He doesn't doesn't smile, but she does notice his cheeks coloring slightly. "You are one of those beautiful genius type, aren't you?"

"I do have an IQ of 187 and a working knowledge of the world." She smiles, her eyes still straining on the numbers written in blue. She thinks, if her brother had put his math knowledge into something else than cooking meth, then maybe he could have done something like this. "Do you like physics?" She smiles.

"I do, but I'm afraid I don't understand it." And it's true – she's always admired those who were good with numbers and she isn't one of them. But ask her to evaluate someone's psyche and she's your girl. The tall one is about to open his mouth when Leonard clears his throat. Oh, she almost forgot he was there.

"I didn't know what you wanted, so I ordered a few different things." She sends a glance towards Sheldon, who is still looking at her and turns to smile at Leonard because he's obviously trying so hard.

"Oh, that's so sweet. Thank you." He blushes, she can see the color spreading from his neck to his cheeks. She plops down on the couch, noticing how the food is already set onto the coffee table. She hears Leonard sharp intake of breath and feels Sheldon coming close to her.

"You can't sit here, that's my spot." In any other situation, she would have argued that he could find another seat. But his blue eyes meet hers again and there's something in the way he looks at her so seriously that shake out any protest from her.

"Of course, sorry." And she moves to the seat over, not noticing Leonard's surprise or Sheldon's raised eyebrow. She's studied too many cases with people who suffer from OCD or paranoia to argue. He sits down next to her, his knee brushing her leg and quickly pulls it away.

"So, Penny what do you do?" She smiles at Leonard when he starts unwrapping the food. She steals a glance towards the equation on the board and feels a little simple minded compared to them, well at least Sheldon.

"I'm currently working on my Master's Degree in criminalistics." Both men turn to look at her in surprise, but she just shrugs it off because she's used to it. She's a sun-kissed blond with a good body and a pretty face, people always underestimate her. "And I work part-time at the Cheesecake Factory to pay the bills." She sends a smile in Sheldon's direction who is still studying her.

She likes the fact that she can surprise people, she always has.

"But what do you guys do?" She turns towards Sheldon. "You must have a very good job if you're a genius." She's never met one before, but she always imagined those men to be holed up in an office somewhere, so dedicated to their work that they forget to eat, breath or sleep.

"I'm a theoretical physicist at Caltech." Of course he is. She nods her head at him. "If you are interested I could show you the working knowledge of the basics one day –"

"I'm sure Penny doesn't want to Sheldon." She blinks at the way his face closes off and then at Leonard for, dare she say it, being mean. The excitement has drained from his face and she feels bad (she only wants to kick Leonard).

"I would love to see some of your work, Sheldon." His eyes fill with hope and joy, just like her nephew when she promises to come home. "I don't have much free-time right now, but when I do I'd love to learn." Leonard has gone back to picking at his food, looking like someone stole his toy. She feels like touching his arm, but she stops herself.

Finally, she takes a bite of the Vegetable Pad Thai.

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When she comes home that night, she makes herself a bed by putting covers on top of one another so she doesn't feel the floor under her ribcage (she sleeps on her stomach, clutching her pillow). But it's okay, she thinks, because tomorrow she'll have a bed and a couch and she'll go out and by things and eventually – eventually she'll have a home.

* * *

 **a/n: new and improved version (at least in my head). Penny met Sheldon and Leonard and the rest is history. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed ~**


	2. Chapter 2

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 **The Smart Cookie Substitution**

but you ain't got my number, yeah, you can't pin me down

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Penny comes out of her apartment juggling keys, her blue thermos filled to the brim with hot coffee, her backpack that won't stop sliding from her left shoulder and her phone pressed to her right ear.

"Yeah, I'm on my way." She's so busy trying to close to door behind her that she doesn't notice two pairs of eyes studying her casually as if she were one of those animals at the zoo. She let's out a relieved sigh when the door finally clicks shut and turns around, only to be startled.

"Hi. You scared me." She skillfully manages to dump her cellphone and her keys into the front pocket of her leather bag, grabs on tighter to the thermos that she almost dropped in surprise and finally let's a calm smile spread on her gloss coated pink lips.

Leonard and Sheldon can only stare.

Her hair is pulled high in a messy bun on top of her head, strands falling on each side of it, all the way to her neck. She's wearing navy jeans and an off the shoulder light blue sweater that is a tad too big for her. Her black ballerina shoes are suede with little bows on them.

"Sorry." Leonard finally manages to look up, his hand tightening on the strap of his messenger bag and his throat very, very dry. Sheldon merely raises an eyebrow at his roommate. "We didn't mean to scare you." Penny moves towards them and Leonard's eyes shine bright with hope until she walks past him and down the first stair.

"You guys off to work?" She's already started going down. Sheldon rolls his eyes at the homunculus that seems petrified and follows after the blonde. Leonard finally snaps out of his trance and trails behind them, his knuckles white because of how tightly his fingers are clenching at his bag.

"Yes, though usually we leave at 8:00 and it is now 8:04." Sheldon casually forgets to mention that they are late because Leonard stopped to gape at her like he'd never seen a pretty girl before. There are plenty of pretty grad students at work, but none of them who speak so directly to either of them. Penny laughs as Sheldon taps his watch with a stern face.

"What about you?" Leonard manages to ask behind the both of them, trying to catch up. Penny is athletic and Sheldon has long legs – they've already reached the lobby before she turns to them with a smile.

"Early class." She raises the blue thermos up high in the air while pushing the glass door and chuckles at her own humor. "And I have to go pick up a friend. Catch you later." She waves as she disappears to the end of the street, a slight bounce in her step. Sheldon clears his throat, obviously shattering whatever daydream Leonard is currently having.

"It is now 8:07." The smallest of the two finally unlocks the car and Sheldon has to ask.

"Are you entertaining the idea that perhaps Penny will want to have an intimate relationship with you?" Leonard smiles at no one in particular and turns the key into the ignition.

"Our kids will be smart and beautiful." Sheldon stays quiet for a few seconds, not pointing the flaws of his roommate's thinking process. He subscribes to the idea of an infinite possibility of worlds and in none of those does he see Leonard and Penny actually working towards anything other than friendship.

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"Hi Sheldon." Sheldon never cared much for interaction with other human beings, not with the kids (teenagers, college students, even professors) who teased him all throughout his academic career or with so called colleagues that wanted the spotlight all to themselves.

Even now, as Penny regards him with bright green eyes, her usual smile and her dazzling presence, he can feel every muscle in his body clenching painfully and his usual thought processing switching to flight mode.

"Hello, Penny." But he is also very conscious that his meemaw wouldn't approve of him ignoring a young lady – he draws the line at smiling, he doesn't smile.

He gets the feeling that instead of pushing her away, his normal stern expression only makes her smile grow. He tries to forget the uneasy feeling spreading through him by concentrating on her clothes.

Instead of her morning attire, she is sporting a long jean skirt, coupled with a white frilly blouse and a mustard yellow vest. He remembers what she said the previous night, about how she works at the Cheesecake Factory to pay the bills, her voice clear in his head and images surfacing vividly. "Are you off to work?"

She takes a step back and cocks her head to side – more curious than surprised. Usually, whenever he has conversation with females they either flee or stare at him with dumbfounded expressions. Penny looks like she wants to cut him up and study him. He knows that look, has seen it plenty of times reflected on his own face.

"You did mention you worked at the Cheesecake Factory and since your clothes are different than this morning…" He doesn't know why he feels the need to explain it, but it's one thing to analyze and another completely to be the one analyzed. He's seen plenty of shrinks, psychologists and even psychiatrists, but never one who looked so…

His attention snaps back to her when she let's out a giggle; it's soft and feminine.

"You have very good deductive reasoning." He feels something inside him shift, his muscles relaxing and then tensing right back up again when she takes a step forward. "And yes, I am off to work." He notices how her eyes are a shade darker in the neon hallway lighting than they were yesterday in the apartment.

Sheldon feels most people reach too easily for others and that touching is often unnecessary. He also imagined, right before that moment, that people like her, like Penny, would show all kinds of emotions through touch, but again, he is reminded that he doesn't know her at all.

"Have a goodnight, Sheldon." His name is on her lips and she sends him a final look before moving past him, never once touching him and yet letting the space between them become almost inexistent. He feels the air shift as she moves past him, smells hints of vanilla and apple and for a split second, he cannot think of anything at all.

Leonard pushes the door of their apartment, changed into a new shirt and with just a hint of cologne (for what, Sheldon will never know) – he wonders if Leonard thinks he'll run into Penny or if one of the waitress at Big Boy will finally look past his desperate puppy eyes and agree to go out with him.

Sheldon rolls his eyes, feels his muscles unclench and shakes his head at his roommate when his brown eyes linger on the door of apartment 4B.

"Leonard, we are late. Koothrappali and Wolowitz are already waiting for us." And all is well in the world when Leonard mutters disobliging comment under his breath and rolls his eyes.

Sheldon forgets about vanilla and apple and his head is flooded again with everything at once.

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"Hello, mademoiselle." Penny eyes widen for a split second, not because of the Beatle's haircut or the tight-fitted, camel toe giving jeans, but at the way the small man in front of her is wiggling his eyebrows in the most suggestive way she's ever seen. She wants to laugh, but doesn't because it might encourage him.

"Howard, come on." Leonard sounds annoyed and he sends her an apologetic look before putting his hand on the man-boy's shoulder. Sheldon is staring at the scene with very little interest and, again, Penny can't help but cock her head to the side, catching a glance of the Indian man almost hidden between Sheldon's tall frame and the door.

"I'm guessing these are your friends?" But it's not really a question and she isn't waiting for an answer.

She can see it in their eyes, at least from three of them, the lust and desire and shame. An odd combination and it probably steams from deep parental issues and self-loathing, things that would take years of therapy and commitment to heal. But Penny is not a psychologist and mommy issues, even though she can recognize them easily because she suffers from them too, do not interest her.

"Yeah, sorry. Howard and Raj meet Penny, our new neighbor. Penny, Howard and Raj, colleagues from work." The creepy one wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at her once again and she knows very well that he wouldn't stand a chance against her if she decided to grab his ass and throw him down the stairs. The shy one, trying to disappear behind Sheldon, sends a small wave towards her. She sends a smile his way because shyness she can deal with.

"You may have heard about some of my work – NASA calls me daily." Penny would usually roll her eyes at the blatant pick up line. She doesn't doubt that this small man works with NASA and she also knows very well that he's probably used this pick up line more than once. But instead of getting angry, she can't hold it in anymore and let's out laugh.

Four pair of eyes stare in wonder at her as she places her hand in front of her mouth.

"You guys are weird. Anyways, I have homework. See you around." She doesn't wait for an answer and, with her back turned and laughter still under her breath, her front door is opened and closed with a swift kick, leaving four pairs of eyes to stare at the iron door of apartment 4B.

"I think she likes me."

"No, she doesn't. She was laughing at you."

"Not at me – with me, there's a difference."

"She seems nice.

"Gentlemen, Halo!"

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"Hi Sheldon." He doesn't like to admit it, but Sheldon Lee Cooper is starting to get used to those cheerful greetings. He never likes to get used to things because getting used to them is accepting them and he isn't sure what accepting Penny into his life means. It makes him uneasy and his stomach churn.

"Hello Penny." She smiles and brushes past him to reach her own mailbox. His senses are compromised. The air around him closes; if he moves, every part of him will touch her, his eyes only see blonde and his nose can detect the faint smell of apple and vanilla.

Usually, Leonard would be here with him – but as it is the third Thursday of the month, Sheldon finds himself alone and almost molested by a beautiful woman. Strange that his end would come like this.

"How was your day?" His head snaps to her direction when he finally notices she's pulled away. He hates losing his ever flowing train of thought – it seems to stop whenever Penny and he are alone.

"You wish to engage in polite chit chat." She let's out a chuckle, her hand tightening on the three envelops she is holding. Her green eyes meet his and again, behind the amusement, he can see it – the need to analyze him.

"Yes – isn't that what friends do?" There is amusement in her eyes, her blond hair turning gold in the soft light coming through the glass door of the lobby. For once in his life, Sheldon doesn't wonder if someone is laughing at him. She might be amused and curious, but nothing about her is hostile. She waits for him patiently to move again, her right foot pressed on one of the stairs.

Friends is what she said.

"Are we friends?" She blinks at his question. He still hasn't moved from his previous spot and gazes at her with both eyebrows raised, as if he cannot understand the concept of friendship.

"Well, I don't know if I'm your friend, but I'd like you to be mine if that's okay." Sheldon isn't sure about this request. He thinks of drawing up a contract, much like he has with Leonard. There's also the fact that he doesn't know her at all besides small bits he's managed to gather from his few interactions with her in the last few days she's moved into apartment 4B. She could be a homicidal maniac or worst, someone who likes to send weird piano-playing cat e-mails.

"I'll think about it." Penny's warm and cheerful exterior doesn't waver and she smiles at him as if he's the most interesting human being she's ever come across. There's something about her – something in the way she smiles or moves that makes people's defenses break down and secrets to come pouring out. If he were simpler, he thinks Penny might have been someone he'd get along with easily. "I like to know my friends." He adds as an afterthought, almost to explain himself – almost.

"So, how was your day?" And with that he shakes his head and finally starts to climb up the stairs, her in the lead (he has a feeling it's always like that for her) and answering her question with a roll of his eyes (however, this social interaction unlike many others before, is actually – it's actually pleasant).

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 **a/n : continuing the revisions. Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

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 **The Smart Cookie Substitution**

 **II.**

 _~ what is it that you are having trouble to define?_

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/.\

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Penny bites her lower lip, looks from the door and then to a random point in the hallway, takes a step back and then a step forward, feels her lower lip become numb between her sharp teeth and finally grows very still.

She sighs, blowing a strand of blonde hair away from her face. She is faced with a dilemma, the kind that is make it or break it and with two solutions. The hard one and yet the most logical, is that she studies her ass off for the two days, never coming out of her apartment and only stopping for food, bathroom breaks and too much coffee. That's how she'd always managed, coming up with a B-minus and if she's lucky a solid B.

And then there's the other option, the easy one, in which she gets her neighbor, who is a genius, to help her study and finally ace a test with an A. It sounds easy, but there's one small detail that bothers her – she doesn't like asking for help, in any form or shape. People always come to her, she's reliable and stable and can attract anyone with her cheerful exterior and pleasing physic (she gives good relationship advice, even if she doesn't follow through with them and she aces psychology, reading people's body language and such – she's a natural).

But the chemistry part, even if necessary, doesn't get through to her. She understands the basics, knows how to balance equations and such, even biology isn't a mystery to her (she'd found out with her first periods, had always wondered what made the human body function so well in the worst possible case scenarios), but chemistry isn't her forte.

Her mind wanders to easier times, where teenage Penny would crawl into her brother's room late at night so he could help her with her homework – her brother was smart, would grumble something under his breath and sigh, but then let her in and spend hours explaining things to her that sounded so simple to him.

She shakes her head to remove the thought – that was before the crystal meth and prison time, before her parents (mostly her father) gave up on him and decided to concentrate on her.

"Penny?" Her attention snaps to the staircase and she sheepishly runs a hand through her hair as her gaze melts into a blue abyss. He can't know he caught her reminiscing about her childhood, can't know he caught her off guard. So she lets a cool smile grow on her lips and pretends to be calm so she can still her beating heart.

"Hi Sheldon!" Because she is bright and cheery and that's how people will always see her. "I was coming to see you." He doesn't need to know that she'd been staring at his door for the last ten minutes. At his wide eyes and silent mouth, she decides to just continue. "I need your help."

He blinks at her, dark lashes fluttering and takes in her appearance. On lazy days, Penny doesn't bother much in choosing her outfit. She has her loose yoga black pants on and a red tank top. She has a feeling Sheldon doesn't care either way. He sends her a curious glance.

"You need my help?" She ignores the disbelief in his voice, wonders why people don't come to Sheldon more often. He is a genius, surely people look for him when they need an answer. But the way his careful blue eyes are assessing her, she guesses it doesn't happen often. She grins at him, white and straight teeth shining just like in that toothpaste commercial she saw just yesterday and takes a step forward.

"It's for my chemistry exam. I know your specialty is physics, but since you are a genius I thought you could help me. I really want a good grade." He blinks at her again and she wonders if that's what she looks like when caught off guard; disbelieving, but still with a curious glint in her eyes. "Please." She practically purrs the word out – it might not work on someone like Sheldon, but it's a force of habit, how she gets most things from the men around her.

"Well…" Her smile is sweet; she can practically taste the sugar leaking from the side of her lips. "If it's for academic endeavours I am always willing to help." Her eyes widen and then return to normal, her sugar-sweet smile turns into a grin and she lets out a giggle (and a breath she didn't even know she was holding). "When is it? Your exam?"

"In two days." There's a bubble in her stomach that's ready to explode any time now. "I'd like to spend today and tomorrow studying – any moment you can give me will be appreciated." His blue eyes meet her green ones, slowly calculating every little detail. "I'll buy you supper." He doesn't smile, but he doesn't seem unhappy either.

"That would be acceptable. I'll bring the Thai menu over to your place. I'll be over in thirty minutes." And with that, he moves past her, not once saying anything and finally unlocking his door before closing it in her face. In any other scenario, Penny would be insulted. Instead, she grins at the closed door and saunters to her apartment with a slight bounce in her step.

/.\

Sheldon doesn't pay attention to Leonard's comments (or his jealousy, it turns his roommate's voice into high pitched moans, the kind you'd expect out of a child) as he moves towards the door, his white board tucked under his arm and his favourite blue marker clutched in his left hand.

He sighs as the door of his own apartment closes behind him. Leonard's fascination with Penny is rather unhealthy and while the blonde hasn't even looked twice at him, his obsession of running into her in the hallway or stealing her mail so he has a reason to go over seems to grow every day. Sheldon might not fully understand human relationships, but he's seen plenty of boys make fools of themselves in front of his own sister – and it never ended well.

He makes sure to knock on her door is his usual fashion, three times one for her name. After he finishes, it takes her barely a second to open the door, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Hi Sheldon, come in." She pushes herself to the left so he can enter and watches him as he leans his whiteboard on the wall and turns around to take in her apartment. He's never been before, hadn't felt the need like Leonard to get to know her space.

Her apartment is surprisingly neat. There a blue couch he remembers movers carrying upstairs, no television, but her pink laptop on the coffee table. Her kitchen is clean, a few plates drying and he can see a pile of cardboard boxes pushed to the corner, obviously waiting for recycling day. He doesn't know why, but he is pleased with his surroundings.

"It's not finished yet." His attention snap back to her and her small smile. "With school and work, I haven't managed to do everything I wanted, but it's starting to look like home." There's a soft breath that pushes past her lips and Sheldon nods, even if he doesn't fully understand the concept of home. He knows what it's like to be comfortable, wouldn't trade this feeling for anything in the world. Maybe that's what Penny means, that she's starting to be comfortable.

"Would you like something to drink? I just made pink lemonade." He doesn't say anything, but his expression softens. His meemaw makes pink lemonade, refreshing on a heated Texan day. She's already moving towards the kitchen. "You can have a seat anywhere. I know you like to choose."

Sheldon decides, as he tests each seat of her couch and finally decides on the one closest to the door, that he likes Penny's effortless comprehension of his habits. She places a tall glass of lemonade on a coaster, sits next to him on the couch where there's already a few books open and her pencil case and smiles at him in her usual cheerful demeanor and looks up with her green eyes sparkling with smarts and yearning to learn.

Yes, Sheldon decides, as he asks her what they have been studying in her class and she shuffles pages while he takes a sip of his lemonade which is sugar sweet, he likes Penny.

/.\

"So, intermolecular and intramolecular aren't the same, one changes only the state of the molecule, which is physical, but intramolecular, if I were to break it, would change the chemistry of the molecule." Sheldon nods his head, his cheeks tainted pink in delight as she finally understands.

"Precisely – you want to concentrate on the three possible states that a molecule can have, either solid, liquid or gas. Solid, the molecules will be attached very closely. Liquid, there will be spaces, but links are still present and it's only in a gas that there will be no links whatsoever, well in a perfect gas anyways, but from what I've gathered, you'll only study the perfect gazes." She nods her head and scribbles down some more notes, her pen moving furiously.

He is about to add something when his stomach let's out a loud noise and her attention snaps away from her notebook to send him a sheepish smile. Her own stomach let's out a hunger moan and she chuckles, her fingers grabbing her cellphone to check the time. It's already eight-thirty – they've been going none stop for three hours.

"How about we stop for tonight?" Sheldon feels his stomach tighten – teaching Penny is surprisingly exhilarating. It makes him remember his own drive and passion and there is something about the way her mouth purses in concentration or her green eyes narrow when he reformulates a phrase that makes his inside giddy. "Or maybe just take a break." Penny's noticed his crestfallen expression, feels happy that he likes to teach her things.

"Yes, a break would be adequate." Sheldon sends her a small smile.

"Monday is Thai food night, right?" He nods his head, appreciative that in the couple of weeks he's know her she has come to understand his schedule. "How about we take a drive and eat over there?" Sheldon's eaten at the place a couple of times.

"That would be agreeable." He's never been anywhere with Penny before, feels suddenly shy to be seen in public with such a beautiful woman. She beams at him and gets on her feet, her feet cracking as she stretches.

"Just let me change. I hadn't really thought we were going out." He takes in her red tank top, her black yoga pants and her flip flops. Her face still looks perfectly made and her straight hair is pulled back in a loose ponytail.

"I see nothing wrong with how you look." The words come out of his mouth as if it's the most obvious thing in the world and Penny stops stretching to look at him. Sheldon feels exposed as she stares, her eyes shining with something he hasn't seen before. He wants to scratch the back his neck. "You are always attractive, Penny."

"So are you, Sheldon." And with that, she walks towards her bedroom and closes the door behind her, leaving Sheldon to ponder her words. No one has ever called him attractive before, his meemaw called him handsome while pinching his cheek, but most people barely looked at him as he walked past them.

Penny emerges back barely five minutes later, with a dark pair of jeans, her ponytail tightened on her head, her flip flops traded with black ballerinas and her key set in the palm of her hand. "Let's go." And here it is, that something in her eyes that makes Sheldon's whole body tighten and make his mouth dry. He might be catching the flu, will have to check his temperature once he returns to his apartment.

As they walk past apartment 4A, the door is wide open and he can see Leonard, Howard and Raj playing vintage videogames, the one tonight is Mario Kart. They pause the game to stare back at them and Penny waves and smiles while Sheldon merely stares.

"Where are you guys headed off?" Sheldon notices Leonard's hands, how the tightened around the controller. Howard and Raj are both staring in surprise at the pair.

"Sheldon's been helping me study, I thought I'd buy him dinner." He likes the fact that Penny is so nice and yet doesn't invite the other three out with them.

Social conventions aside, he thinks that his friends would make Penny uncomfortable and while Sheldon understands she is attractive, he doesn't believe she should be objectified just because of her looks. He enjoys Penny because she is smart, maybe not as smart as him, but smart nonetheless and what she doesn't understand, she's eager to learn. He can respect her for that.

Before anyone can add anything, Sheldon takes a step forward.

"Gentlemen, I'll see you when we return." He waits for Penny to walk past him, the air around him tainted with vanilla and apple and sends a look towards his apartment. He chooses to ignore Leonard's glare and follows after Penny a few seconds later.

/.\

Penny smiles at Sheldon over her menu. He already knows it by heart, explains to her during the drive that he has an eidetic memory which makes it impossible for him to forget anything.

She finally closes her menu, crosses her leg under the table and stares at him. Penny finds herself staring at him a lot. His earlier comment completely caught her off guard. She doesn't know him enough to make any assumptions, but he doesn't look like the type of guy who gives compliments easily.

The waiter comes to take their order, only turning to her because he already knows what Sheldon will order and it's only when he finally leaves that Penny allows herself a small chuckle.

"Thank you so much for your help, Sheldon. I already understand better." His blue eyes turn to her, the clearness of them reflecting the light of the two small candles in the middle of their table.

"I'm glad." If Penny smiles any harder, her cheeks will stay permanently fixed that way. "Sometimes, a fresh perspective is all one needs to understand." She nods her head, her smile never leaving her face. She likes the way he talks, his voice melting with intellectual words. He's different from her usual type of men. A sudden thought hits her.

"Can you tell me about your work?" At his dumbfounded expression, she urges him on. "I know I probably won't get anything of it, but I'd like to try." His mouth opens and then closes as the waiter sets his ice tea in front of him and then her diet coke. After a sip, his blue eyes find hers.

"You do not give yourself enough credit, Penny." Once again, his comment catches her off guard and she stares back at him with an expression she can't even place. "And for my work, I'm trying to prove String Theory…" She listens to him talk about neutrinos and constants and Schrodinger's equations and is overwhelmed with something she can't even decipher.

Even as their plates come and go and she argues with Sheldon that she's the one paying, even if it means going against everything his mother taught him and she sticks her tongue childishly at him when she wrestles the bill out of his hands and he rolls his eyes, she still can't put her finger on that thing that makes her insides melt as he holds the door for her.

/.\

"I think I'm going to tune in. I have an early class tomorrow. Someone's covering my shift tomorrow so I can study some more." Sheldon listens to her talk as they walk up the stairs. It's already past his bedtime, but he doesn't tell her that.

It's only when they are both standing in front of their respective doors and she's saying goodnight that Sheldon realizes he needs to say something to her – he just doesn't know what.

"Penny." She stops fumbling with her keys and turns back towards him. Her eyes are darker, probably because she is tired and usual cheerfulness has been replaced by a calm and collected persona.

"Yes, Sheldon?" He swallows, because his mouth has suddenly dried out.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" He did agree to help in her study. She assesses him carefully, her body very still and Sheldon feels as if he is a prey being staked out of a predator. And finally, she lets a slow smile spread on her lips and nods at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." And with that she finally unlocks her door, sends him a small wave and closes the door behind her. As Sheldon steps inside his own apartment, he realizes he left his whiteboard over at her place.

"Did you have fun on your date?" He ignores Leonard and makes his way towards the bathroom so he can check his temperature. He feels flushed and his mouth is dry, but after the second time, the thermometer still displays the same red numbers and he stares in the mirror.

How Peculiar.

* * *

 **a/n : Hi there. First off, let me say I am sorry that this took so long to come out. Let me say that exams have been pretty intense around here and the I feel Penny's struggle because chemistry is also kicking my behind this semester. I think their first unofficial date went well, what did you think? Of course, both Penny and Sheldon are clueless and I think that's how it's meant to be. I want to thank everybody who takes their times to drop a review, they are always appreciated and I like to read what you guys think. Again, thank you and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoyed. Till next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

.

 **The Smart Cookie Substitution**

 **III**

 _All these contradictions,_

 _pouring out me_

.

/.\

.

Penny, if anyone asked, is usually the bubbly cheery blonde kind of waitress. She smiles and bats her eyelashes and is very skilled at dodging pretty boys with money and their wandering hands. She brushes off mean comments (it's easy when you know you won't be here forever), but beams at the compliments with childish delight.

With that in mind, if anyone were to ask why, at that exact moment, Penny is gaping like a fish outside of the water, notepad almost slipping from her hand and petrified in her spot near the kitchen's doors, then no one would have an answer.

She runs a hand through her hair, finally moving again, her heels turning sharply to retreat back to the kitchen. Back behind the doors, she puts on her usual cheerful smile and pushes the doors opened, only to be greeted by the same sight as before. And exactly like the first time, her shoes squeak on the floor as she goes back to the kitchen.

Eric, the busboy, sends her an amused look when she comes back out the third time, the same expression on her face. It's not uncommon for people to retrace their steps – but Penny doesn't look like she's missing anything.

"You okay?" He asks, coming to stand next to her, the heavy load of dishes in his hands completely forgotten. He's barely eighteen and is already too tall. She nods her head and sighs.

"Table 4." She finally says, with some sort of finality. His eyes roam towards the table, he knows them all by now and notices the group of four men. Nothing unusual really, especially at supper time. "I'm not crazy." But she says it more to herself than to him. The weight is starting to bother him, so he sends a last look her way before rushing to the kitchen.

Penny straightens, her uniform an odd mix of mustard yellow and blue jeans, bites her lip for a second, her hands tightening on the notepad. Finally, she smiles her usual carefree smile and moves forward. In the kitchen, three of the cooks that noticed her little display shake their heads, trying to look through the window of the revolving doors.

/.\

"Hi, Penny." It's Leonard's idea – everything about this reeks of him and his poorly executed plans. Even if it's been weeks since Penny moved in and flat out ignored all of his advances, the man still has hope.

"Hey guys." It's the first-time Sheldon's seen her work. She seems even more cheerful than usual, her smiles too bright and too engaging, probably a ploy to extract more tips from patrons. She's clearly at ease with people and of course this would be a job that she excelled at. "Isn't it Big Boy night?" Sheldon turns towards Leonard, eyes narrowed.

"See, even Penny understands that, Leonard." His precious routine has been the same for years, but Leonard had come home that night with the idea and both Raj and Howard had easily agreed – Sheldon needed the ride.

"Well, maybe it's time for something new." The look on Sheldon's face is glum and he's not at all pleased. And by the way Penny's shoulders tense at his reply, she doesn't look that impressed either. Sheldon is not rehearsed in the social practices, but he does have a sister. And he knows exactly what this is – just like Missy and the boys that always followed after her, this won't end well.

"May I say you look particularly ravishing in that shade of yellow." Sheldon takes in the mustard yellow vest and almost grimaces. It's an odd shade. And while Penny still looks beautiful, it's clearly not her color of choice.

"You may not." She answers evenly, not even looking at Howard. Raj waves from the end of the table and she beams at him like she always does. "Did you have a look at the menu or would you like some time?" Sheldon looks at the menu with a sigh. Obviously, he'll have to choose something from this.

"We just sat down." She closes the notepad and sends a small smile at Leonard, who clearly cannot see that this isn't at all how she expected to spend her shift and nods.

"I'll go get you some water." She retreats, her back facing them. Sheldon rolls his eyes, the first page of the menu taunting him, just waiting for him to open it and be disappointed.

/.\

Penny's routine, maybe not as carefully planned as Sheldon's, is still her routine. Her classes are mostly at the same time every semester (departmental rules) and her Cheesecake Factory is mostly the same, except maybe around specific times during the year where they need her to put in some extra hours.

She can understand, to a certain extent, just how bothered Sheldon is by all of this, because she is too. She doesn't mind them visiting her, not at all. Most people she goes to college with end up here one time or another and it mostly means bigger tips and friendly chatter because they understand. They all have temporary jobs that they hate to love, but it's money and they do have bills – they're the easiest kind of customers.

Penny isn't stupid. She knows exactly that it's Leonard's idea of a plan and that this is a ploy to spend some time with her or just to plainly look at her. His affections start to weight on her shoulders – and while she tries to ignore him and not to encourage him, lately her nerves are fragile (she's got so much to do, midterms exams and papers that she spends nights away because of) and her patience is thin.

When they leave, Sheldon at least enjoying his burger and finding the cutlery up to his standards, Penny let's out a breath she didn't know she was holding and a breathy laugh at Raj's handwriting that tells her 'thank you, have a goodnight' on the bill.

She goes back to being her calm self even as she clears up their table.

"I didn't know you had such nerdy friends." Penny snorts at Eric, the busboy, as he takes in a handful of plates to help her – and she rolls her eyes, because she isn't quite sure any of them would classify as her friends. Well, maybe except Sheldon.

"Two of them are my neighbours. They sort of come as a package deal." Not that she minds, but she hasn't spent all that much time with all of them as a group. Sheldon's the one who comes over to her apartment the most, to help her study mostly. Ever since she's asked for his help, she'd managed to end up as a new variable in his schedule, his familiar knocks resonating on her door every Tuesday and Wednesday. "One of them has a crush on me."

Eric nods his head as he follows her to the kitchen.

"Yeah, the tall one with the superhero shirt." She almost drops the glasses she's holding. Eric raises an eyebrow at her stiffness. "You haven't noticed?" He acts so surprised that Penny thinks she's missed something.

"It's the one with the glasses, the short one – Leonard?" Leonard's crush is obvious; she can't miss it. But Sheldon, the tall one with superhero shirt, he can't have a crush on her for a multitude of reasons.

"Oh yeah. No, that one just has potential stalker written all over his face. I would know, he has the same look all the guys give my sister." Penny rolls her eyes and finally drops the glasses in the tray. "But he kept looking at all the waitresses that passed by. The other one had his eyes glued to you the whole time." Her brain rationalizes that it's probably because she's the only one here Sheldon knows.

Finally, she shrugs her shoulders in the way that makes it clear she's had enough of this conversation. Eric rolls his eyes, and starts shuffling plates. In the realm of everything possible, that is not one of them. Penny sorts – she sounds just like him.

/.\

Penny is nestled into her couch, feet propped on the cushion so it's easier for her to write in her notebook. She scribbles furiously away, derivatives and such – Sheldon knows because she makes him check her work every ten minutes, just to be sure that everything is alright.

She's changed from her Cheesecake Factory attire, her hair is still wet from her shower – and while Sheldon understands that she must be tired after her shift, she still welcomes him in her apartment with a smile and gets right into her homework, which is sorted by urgency.

He's truly impressed by her dedication, just like every time he sees her work. Sheldon's never paid much attention to one's beauty, mostly because beautiful people were often shallow and to put it simply – dumb. They prioritized their looks instead of what really mattered in life: knowledge. They had everything handed to them because of smiles and beckoning features.

But Penny has crushed every impression he has and makes him think that he isn't crazy after all. Those people shun him for his brain and his quirks. Even amongst the smart elites, he often found himself alone. Penny never bats an eyelash, understands his schedule and smiles at him in her usual way, that warm smile he's come to understand as his.

"Sheldon, do I have something on me?" He feels his face grow warm, snapping out of his reverie and meeting her green eyes who are studying him instead of her notes. His laptop is opened, but equations and neutrinos escape him tonight.

"No, I was just daydreaming." And there it is, that smile. She certainly doesn't smile at Leonard that way or to anyone else, so it really is the smile she reserves just for him. She drops her pencil on the table and hands him the notebook.

"Do you mind looking at my work?" She keeps asking that every time, probably afraid to bother him. He appreciates the gesture, because most people would not go to all this trouble. But he's in her apartment and he corrects her work with ease – Sheldon doesn't do anything he doesn't want to.

He takes the notebook and her smile never wavers. She stretches as he looks over her work and his eyes dart to the way her shirt rides up, exposing just the slight amount of skin. He clears his throat.

"It's good – you just have a small error here…" He grabs the pencil on the table and crosses out one of the numbers. She scoots over, close enough that he can smell her vanilla scented body wash.

/.\

"Hey Penny." The blonde let's her hand hang midair as she scans the content of her mailbox. She hates the bills that come with her renewed tuition – but she wouldn't change what she's doing for the world.

"Hey Leonard, what's up?" She shuffles envelops in her hands, sending a small smile towards the man. Ever since that night at the Cheesecake Factory, she looks at him differently. He's just lonely and looking for someone – not her specifically and whatever unease she's felt previously is gone.

"Are you and Sheldon dating?" It stuns her again, that people think she and Sheldon are an item. But she's also curious, maybe she really is missing something – since Kurt, she's put any thought of a relationship on the back of her mind. It's not that she wouldn't date, it's just that she's swore the next person in her life would see her as a person and not the pretty blonde girlfriend with a hot body.

"Did he say that?"

"No, just wondering – you've been spending a lot of time together." She's tempted to tell him that it's not of his business, instead she nods her head. "But if you don't have any plans tonight, maybe you and I could catch a movie or go to dinner?" He looks so hopeful that Penny almost feels bad – almost.

"I already have plans tonight, sorry. Maybe some other time?" But it won't happen, she'll just keep on telling him no until some day he finally let's go. She just hopes it's sooner rather than later.

"Sure, of course you do. No problem." She climbs the stairs with him and he stays silent. She casually forgets to mention that her plans tonight include Sheldon and his Star Trek DVD's – he's finally convinced her to watch it.

/.\

"My friends asked me if we were dating today." Oh, so that's what her earlier conversation was all about. Penny's eyes don't move away from the screen. It's not a bad show and she can say that she's enjoying it, just maybe not as much as Law and Order or Criminal Intent.

"Yeah? Leonard asked me exactly that earlier." She feels his eyes on her. On the screen, there are two captain Kirk and the other members are stranded. She finds herself wanting to know how they'll piece everything back together.

Sheldon clears his throat and turns his eyes back towards the TV.

/.\

Sheldon does the only thing he knows how to do when faced with a predicament – he researches. Google offers plenty of information as he types in his symptoms and he ignores those who tell him he has cancer until he finally comes across one that pinpoint exactly everything he's been feeling.

And the answer practically makes him fall out of his chair.

For someone so smart and who's studying everything about the universe for years, the answer catches him so off guard that he finds himself puzzled about how he could have missed it. His symptoms are clearly spelled out in front of him, with comments from people who agree readily with what is written.

Sheldon thinks that he would've preferred a lethal disease.

/.\

There's an extra bounce in her step as she walks up the stairs four at a time. The ink on the paper she is holding is still fresh, deep red and when she closes her eyes, she can still see the smile the teacher had given her.

Instead of going to her apartment and calling her dad, waiting anxiously like an excited child until he picks up the phone, she goes straight to the opposite door and knocks frantically. She fidgets until Leonard opens the door and she smiles at him too bright and too overjoyed.

"Hey Leonard, is Sheldon here?" But she already knows the answer and doesn't pay attention to the crestfallen expression on his face. Sheldon is easy to spot at his desk and when he turns towards her, she's already reached him.

"I guess by your cheerful expression you got your exam back with a satisfactory grade." She squeals and holds the paper up so he can see it. She'd told him the previous day that they were getting their exams back today and Sheldon never forgets anything. He gets up to look at the grade and smiles at her. She got an A, a freaking A in chemistry.

"Congratulations." He offers, but it's not enough and she flings her arms around him, her body pressing into his. His body stiffens in the embrace and while he doesn't push her away, he's too stunned to return it. But Penny doesn't care, not right now. She pulls away and sends him a smile.

"We're celebrating tonight." And with that she is gone, not noticing how Sheldon still hasn't move or that Leonard's fists are clenched so tight they are turning red. She needs to tell her dad.

/.\

Sheldon's never celebrated something as trivial as a grade before. But Penny seems so overjoyed at that moment that he pushes away the thought that the whole thing is ridiculous and finds himself in her apartment for supper.

She's made spaghetti with little pieces of hot dogs cut up in it – he'd mentioned it to her a few weeks ago and she'd remembered enough to make it again. He even guesses that she had to go to the store to fetch all the ingredients.

Her apartment is dimly lit by candles. There's a glass of wine by her side, a well-deserved one she tells him and she sips it slowly in between bites, while his glass of ice tea remains untouched. Sheldon's never had a 'romantic' dinner, but he can guess that this is exactly how it's meant to go.

"I really couldn't have done it without you, Sheldon." His blue eyes meet her green ones, that are a shade darker because of the lack of light. There's something so genuine about her expression that makes him smile.

"Of course, you would have." And he really means it. He doesn't offer compliments lightly and he has complete faith in her – Penny is the kind of person who can do anything she wants when she puts her mind to it, just like him. He merely brings a fresh perspective on things she already knows.

She smiles at him then, her usual kind smile that is just for him and Sheldon finds that even if the food looks delicious and that she probably made it just for him, he's not that hungry. But he takes a bite anyways, just so he doesn't stare at her.

In the midst of his research and now that he actually has an idea about his infliction, he pays extra attention to how he acts with Penny. She probably doesn't notice how he treats her differently than others, but he does. He starts to notice the little things at first – like how he doesn't mind her being close to him or that he offers her more compliments than any other person before her.

It's easy to be with her and she never makes him feel inadequate – she doesn't mind his quirks or bats an eyelash when he's being particular condescending and while he knows she can be sarcastic, she never acts that way with him.

He likes her, but not quite like a friend. And while most people would just go in blindly and see how it goes, it's certainly not the way Sheldon goes about things. He needs more research, more data and a carefully thought out plan.

"How do you like the spaghetti?" He looks at his half-empty plate. He'd been eating mindless, not even noticing the intake.

"It's good, just like my mom used to make." She beams at him and at that exact moment, he can feel the usual rush of warmth that spreads throughout his body. He really wishes he could control it.

"I have cheesecake in the fridge for dessert." Before even coming up with a plan, he really needs to stop staring at her that way.

* * *

 **a/n : I know most of you were expecting a new chapter. The thing is - I felt like I rushed things and that there was something lacking. And while I am more than happy with the first three chapters, I felt like the fourth one happened to fast and I couldn't bring myself to write anything if it remained that way. Writer's block sucks - but at least with this chapter I feel like the next ones will be easier to write. I want to thank every one who takes the time to review and favorite and follow this story. You are all amazing and you don't know how much it all means to me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and drop a review, I love those. Till next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

.

 **The Smart Cookie Substitution**

 **IV**

 _~ just another girl_ _in the twenty-first century_

.

/.\

.

Penny does not drink – much.

Well, certainly not as much as she did when she still lived in Omaha (you try being a teenager in Nebraska and find something else to do on weekends than getting drunk) or when she was still with Kurt (by the end, that's pretty much all they had in common, even the sex didn't happen without alcohol).

"Shots!" Someone yells not that far from her and Penny rolls her eyes with a smile on her face as everyone cheers. She empties the rest of her cup in one large gulp, the vodka burning her insides.

"Pen! Shots!" Nathan, her lab partner, appears out of thin air (or maybe it's just the booze and he was standing near her the whole time) and hands her yet another red plastic cup. He gulps his down at an impressive speed, smiling at her.

"Where's Vic?" She all but yells in his face. Said Vic, short for Victoria, appears next to him almost as if she knows she's been called. Nathan wraps an arm around his girlfriend who looks ready to find a spot on the floor and sleep for the night.

"Sorry, sorry. I went to the bathroom and then I thought about maximising the space and I sort of got lost." There's a flush on the girl's face and she rambles on about derivatives. Penny loves her friend, but she's sort of out of it.

"Only you could think about that at a party, babe." Vic elbows Nathan in the ribs. It has to be said that Nate is a tower, shaped like a brick wall. He's the nice kind of guy and the blow barely registers to him.

"You know, I think this is my last drink…" Penny trails off, looking around at all the students. Midterms are over and people either get drunk or sleep for three days straight, just enough to forget that it's only midterms and the stress and lack of sleep is not over just yet.

And then someone yells; KEG and really, Penny cannot be held responsible for the rest of her actions that night.

/.\

"Penny?" Sheldon blinks and blinks and then blinks again. If he wasn't sure he had perfect 20/20 vision, he'd think that he'd suffered massive eye damage.

"Hey, Sheldon." Penny's sort of, but not really, stuck in the main door of the apartment building. And judging by her expression, she has absolutely no intentions about moving. One of her legs is stuck in the door and she looks exhausted.

"Do you perhaps require assistance to reach your apartment?" For a minute, Penny doesn't say anything at all and Sheldon really believes that she's died. But her eyes close and she finally sends him a lopsided smile.

"Yeah, Sheldon. That'd be great actually." She slurs the word, but the physicist understands most of them. He trails towards the blond, pushing the door to pull her inside. When her whole body finally reaches the lobby, he wraps her arm around his neck and snakes one of his around her waist.

It's not like Penny is particularly heavy. In this state, she offers minimal resistance and Sheldon can carry her with ease, her feet barely on the floor because of his height.

"Can I assume your planned evening was successful?" Of course, Penny had mentioned the party to him. She'd even invited him because she was that nice and apparently, that's what friend did.

While spending time with Penny is always enjoyable, Sheldon still hates socializing more than he enjoys Penny's company, so he'd wished her fun and told her to call a cab if she was planning on drinking – you know, normal words muttered from one friend to another (although, he'd never actually said any of that to Leonard, so Sheldon decides that it's because Penny is much more useful than his roommate).

"I swear, I didn't plan on having more than one drink." She moans out as they reach the first floor. "And then someone yelled KEG and Nathan dared me to do a handstand and Victoria just kept telling that she had actual money invested in this…" She trails off, eyes unfocused and pressing more into Sheldon.

"Does that mean it was successful?" Penny smiles then, just a little like her usual self. Sheldon breaths and decides that he doesn't need to check her for cognitive damage.

"I had fun, so yeah – it was successful." Second floor reached, only two to go. "You're so nice, Sheldon – do you know that?" No, actually he doesn't. People have used many, many adjectives to describe him and 'nice' has never been one of them.

"Sure, Penny." It's the only thing that he can really answer and the blonde smiles then, green eyes too bright and too unfocused and while this Penny isn't the one he's used to, he finds that she's still one of the most tolerable drunk people Sheldon's ever encountered.

"You're so, so nice!" Sheldon would laugh, he really would, if it wasn't for the clear disregard for grammar. "I mean, you're always helping me study and you're carrying me to my apartment and not trying to feel me up. You're like, the perfect man." Usually, Sheldon would brush off such a comment, but Penny snuggles a bit more into his side and there's that familiar flush that spreads on his cheeks.

"Ah." Finally, they reach the fourth floor. Sheldon heaves sigh of relief although he isn't sure why. While he avoids physical contact at all cost, he doesn't mind helping Penny if it means she won't fall asleep in the stairs and he's just 'so nice'.

Her hand reaches for her purse, but she loses her balance and leans into him so she doesn't fall. Sheldon sighs, not quite annoyed, then and reaches for the bag, locating the keys easily in the front pocket.

"Are you okay with walking?" Penny smiles, not her usual Sheldon smile, but it's pretty close. Her eyes manage to focus on him for a second.

"I'll be fine. Thanks, Sheldon." She grabs onto his arm, pushes herself up and kisses him on the cheek. She giggles just like a child would and then closes her door behind her. He can hear her fall on her couch.

Sheldon's ears burn red, his fingers trailing over the patch of skin Penny's lips touched.

/.\

Penny loves her couch.

It's a very nice couch, the first thing that she actually buys when she moves to Pasadena. Even when she breaks up with Kurt and wants nothing to do with him, she still goes back to his apartment to get her freaking couch (and threaten him with a baseball bat, just so he knows that she isn't playing around).

So yeah, Penny loves her couch – that doesn't mean she enjoys waking up in it. For one, she wakes up with her left hand cramped because she'd been laying on it. Sleeping in a fetal position is nice when you're a kid, but now twenty-two years old and more than five feet make her wish she'd manage to make it to her bed.

And the headache, oh the headache. She feels like her skull is ready to split open and let her brain fall on the floor of her apartment. Her throat burns, her mouth is dry and she swears that this is the last time she ever does a handstand before downing her weight in cheap beer.

She crawls towards her bathroom, groaning at the light and reaches for two ibuprofens that she downs with some water in her hand. She steals a glance at herself in the mirror and laughs in horror at the mess of her hair and her messed up eyeliner. She ends up sitting in her tub as the shower runs.

It's ten o'clock when Sheldon knocks on her door and Penny drags her feet all the way there, her fuzzy slippers making that scratching noise. She feels like death, but at least now she doesn't look like it.

"Hey, Sheldon." She tightens the rope of her bathrobe and tries to smile at him. The light from the hallway assaults her eyes and makes her wish she was back in her tub, letting the water drip on her shoulders.

"Good morning, Penny. As I understand, people require proper nourishment after a night of 'painting the town red' and I took the liberty of stopping at the store to buy some groceries for you." Too many words – Penny blinks.

"Uh?" Sheldon rolls his eyes then.

"I came to make you breakfast since you obviously have a hangover." And suddenly, the pounding in her head is forgotten and Penny allows herself to smile for the first time today.

"Oh, Sheldon." She lets him eventually, but not before tackling him into a hug. He doesn't respond of course and it barely lasts a second, but she's just too hungover to care about boundaries.

/.\

"Hey guys." Sheldon looks up at Penny standing in the doorway. It's Wednesday and for once, he isn't over at her apartment helping her study. No, he's missed Halo every week for almost two months now and he knows that Howard, Leonard and Raj cannot function without him.

There's a chorus of 'hello' and Howard wiggling his eyebrow.

"What are you playing? Is that Halo? I love that game." Four pair of eyes look at her in disbelief as she comes to stand near Leonard – and who left the front door open? Sheldon distinctly remembers closing it. He narrows his eyes at Leonard, probably his new way of luring Penny in.

"You play Halo?" Leonard answers, stunned and pushes his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Marry me." Of course, that comes from Howard. Raj merely waves from his spot on the armchair and Penny bats her eyelashes at the silent man like she always does.

"Penny, while I'm sure you love Halo in your own way, you have to know that we take it very seriously. You probably won't 'love' the serious way we play it." Sheldon's always known Penny to very compliant. She's always so nice and never picks a fight –

And yet at that moment, her eyes narrow at him and her lips quirk in that way that is clearly not a smile.

"Leonard, move over. You're playing teams, right? Raj, do you mind if I play this one?" The Indian man shakes his head and throws the remote at her. "Okay, Leonard and me vs. Sheldon and Howard." When no one moves, she sighs.

"Now, people!" And then she's grumbling under her breath about stupid boys and their games and Sheldon notices a new side to Penny, one he finds he enjoys immensely. She actually seems to know what she's doing.

He finds her less enjoyable when she hands him back his ass later that evening and she grins playfully, her eyes burning with a fire that he's never quite known in anyone else. And it pisses Sheldon off that he can't even be properly mad at her because of how beautiful she looks at that moment.

"Oh Sheldon, look – it's raining you." He seethes in his spot, Raj clapping in his hands, Howard clearly defeated and Leonard grinning because Penny keeps leaning into him every time she throws a grenade.

"No one can be this attractive and skilled at a videogame. She's obviously cheating." Penny laughs and laughs and laughs, watching as limbs are scattered over the pixel forest.

/.\

"Uh, Sheldon?" You know, she's used to his quirks by now. But when he knocks on her door Saturday morning with a twinkle in his eyes and that posture, Penny doesn't know what to think.

"Penny, you and I will settle this right now. I challenge you to a mini-golf contest today!" Ah, so this is about kicking his ass at Halo. It should be said that Penny never backs down from a challenge, especially not one that involves kicking Sheldon's ass.

It's very therapeutic and she recommends it to anyone who needs to unload some tension. Penny feels that fire in her stomach as she looks at the man who always seems to wear two shirts and puts a hand on her hip, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine! I hope you're ready to lose!" His expression, already determined, becomes pure rage and his eyes narrow. She answers with a smile, the sardonic kind. His fists clench by his side.

"I will not lose, woman!" Is that a southern accent she hears? Of course, she knows Sheldon is from Texas, but it's the first time she hears slight that twang in his voice. "Get your keys!" How can she say no to that?

Penny grabs her keys and follows after him in the stairs. If she wasn't so determined to keep her fight face on, she'd probably laugh at this whole ridiculousness. All in all, it's not the worst way someone has asked her out on a date.

"Loser is paying for lunch!" She yells, and Penny has no intentions of missing out on free food.

/.\

"This was fun. We should do that again." Sheldon feels his face tighten at her smug smile and her seemingly sweet voice – Penny is a vixen. She bats her eyelashes and bites into her sandwich, the one he paid for.

"You know, you're a lot more beautiful when you don't gloat." He snaps at her, his words not having the desired effect. He expects her to be shocked, but instead the smile on her face grows and her eyes widen.

"And you're hotter with a golf club in your hands." Sheldon knows Penny is driven in life. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Not many people make it in Los Angeles and yet Penny manages to pay her bills, work at the Cheesecake Factory and somehow finds the time to attend University and have good grades.

Yes, Penny is very driven and Sheldon has always admired that about her. But he had never challenged her, at least not on a competitive level. And while he has no doubts that he is smarter than her, it's particularly annoying that she seems to beat him at everything else.

"I've never met anyone like you." He might be annoyed with her, but he can't manage to be angry. As he looks at her, blonde and beautiful and smart and driven, Sheldon finds that while he doesn't like being second, he doesn't mind it as much with Penny.

Although, if he has the choice, he'd rather have her on his side then against him. Penny and he would take down the world if they ever teamed together. She'd snarl her teeth and make her hands bleed before giving up.

"Likewise." They toast with iced tea and eat sandwiches with chips and Sheldon finds that even if he lost – well it's not that bad.

He plans his revenge though, don't get him wrong. He might not be able to get mad at her, but he'll find something that he can beat her at, mark his words.

* * *

 **a/n: No, I am not dead! Or maybe I am and no one bothered to tell me. Yet here I am with a brand new chapter and with Sheldon and Penny both being stubborn and competitive. It's always something I appreciated in the series, you know before it went to shit.**

 **On another more cheerful note, this story has almost reaches the 100th review mark and I thought, since all of you are so awesome, that I'd do something different. So, whoever writes the 111th review (I'll check, I'll even count and I just like that number) will get a one shot written for them. Of course, it doesn't have to be about Sheldon and Penny. It can be about anything as long as I know it. It can be with or without a main idea, it doesn't matter. I have enough imagination to come up with something. I'll contact the person by PM (so, you know, sign in).**

 **Thank you so much for all of your reviews. If I could hug each and every one of you, I would. Thanks for readings, I hope you enjoyed and till next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

.

 **The Smart Cookie Substitution**

do you like my body, do you like my mind?

.

.

Penny remembers reading about Schrodinger's cat somewhere in one of her chemistry textbooks and thinks that it's really not curiosity that killed the cat, more like the crazy scientist with questionable practices and, well, the radioactive waste.

Penny is curious by nature.

She remembers being six years old and pestering her father about random facts, mostly about those detective shows he enjoys so much (daddy, why is that man lying on the ground like that, daddy, why do policemen have guns and we don't, daddy, what's DNA and why does it help catch the bad guys and why is it spelled it capital letters and what's an abbreviation…)

Normal, kid stuff.

(Penny thinks her father's butchering of scientific facts is what makes her choose her career, because at some point she'd gotten tired of everyone around her giving her wide looks and blabbering on about things they do not understand).

But the point of this little trip down memory lane is that Penny is curious by nature. So, when she hears the commotion inside apartment 4A, she's torn between completely ignoring it and going in and see what is actually happening.

It's not that Penny thinks they'll turn her away, it's just that it's been a long day of lectures and a five-hour shift at the Cheesecake Factory and her bathtub is calling out her name with promises of aroma therapy and bubbles floating away as she pretends to be a Disney princess –

"What's up guys?" Curiosity wins out in the end, not that she's surprised. Penny knows herself very well and knows without a doubt that she can't resist knowing about other people's business. It's what she does best – be up in people's faces and ask questions and read them and analyze them…

A chorus of 'Hi, Penny' reaches her and a wave from Raj, but she's obviously disturbed them in the middle of some group argument (scientists are a bit like girls, it's just that, instead of talking about boys and celebrity gossip, they talk about stuff like neutrinos and formulas and equations).

"Am I interrupting?" The fact that Sheldon is currently pouting like a five-year-old doesn't help to shatter the illusion that she's walked in something important.

"No, Sheldon's just having a mental breakdown." Howard says easily, like it happens every Wednesday. She doesn't bother commenting on it because that's pretty true in itself.

"They're awarding the Chancellor's Award for Science to Sheldon this year." Her eyes widen at Leonard and her mouth form an 'o' as she smiles in Sheldon's direction.

"I won't be accepting the award." She deflates in her spot, raising an eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"Apparently, the great Sheldon Cooper has stage fright." Howard answers, clapping his hands together.

Penny thinks that you really learn something new every day – today's a two for one because she also learned that cheesecake is awfully slippery and can make bus boys falls on their asses and break all the plates they're holding – the more you know.

"Oh, I know how to fix that –."

"My mother has already suggested every trick in the book. I do not wish to repeat the experience of imagining the crowd in their underwear. God knows how many mental scars that gave me last time." Penny rolls her eyes.

"I was actually about suggest shock treatment." Sheldon raises an eyebrow, clearly mocking her. "I can drag you to school with me and stick electrodes on your brain to monitor your fear levels and then electrocute you whenever…" She trails off.

"I love it when you talk dirty." Raj actually sends a disgusted look in Howard's direction.

"We have a very good neuroscience department. I mean, four out five people agreed that it helped them. Sure, they're a bit fidgety afterwards, but that's a small price to pay for getting rid of your fear of clowns." Not that Penny particularly agrees with such practices, but pain is a great motivator when wanting to change one's behavioural patterns.

"Thank you, Penny, for that wonderful and yet very questionable suggestion." She makes sure to send a big smile towards Sheldon, complete with her perfect white teeth. "But, as I said, I won't be giving a speech."

"Sheldon, you're being ridiculous. I think shock treatment is a wonderful idea." She beams at Leonard and Sheldon stands up and moves towards her.

"Am I? Let me tell you a story." She catches Raj's eyes and they both rolls their eyes at the same time. "I was 14 and graduating from college summa cum laude – summa cum laude means with highest honors." That last part is said with a with stare towards Howard. "I was valedictorian and expected to give an address." There's a pause.

"Even now I can remember that moment when I walked up to the podium and looked at the crowd. There must have been thousands of people. My heart started pounding in my chest. I began to hyperventilate. My vision became blurry, and before I knew it… Oh."

Penny's hand lurches forward and she holds Sheldon by the material of his shirt, skillfully prevents him from toppling down on the floor, his face hovering a few centimeters away from the ground.

"So, Penny, want to stay for the movie?"

"Don't trample me…" She sighs and that bubble bath feels like a distant memory now.

.

.

Sheldon doesn't really know why he agrees to it in the end – maybe it's the thought of having his very own team of subpar X-Men or maybe it's the way Penny keeps saying that suit shopping will be fun (she does mention that if he wants, the shock treatment option is available to him whenever and he gives a breathy laugh at that even if she is being serious).

A few curious people send glances towards them as they walk inside the mall. No, maybe not at them, mostly at Penny. People always notice Penny and Sheldon notices them noticing.

It's not like he doesn't understand. Today, Penny's hair is pulled up in a messy ponytail, blonde curls framing her face and she wears an orange, long-sleeved top with an oriental print, that is oddly fitting with the green of her eyes and her knee length jeans are definitely doing wonders for her figure.

It's Saturday and Sheldon is shopping in a mall with a very attractive woman. All in all, it could be worse (it's just the fact that he has to give a speech that irks him, talent should not be recognized through something as inconsequential as a banquet speech, in front of a couple of hundreds of people, he feels his chest clenching…)

"Oh, you want to stop at the train store before? Didn't you say there was a new model you wanted to buy or look at?" Sheldon's thoughts about the barbaric practices of the academic reward system lurch to a stop.

"I did say that…" He trails, raising an eyebrow. He did say it and he remembers saying it and that isn't very surprising because of his eidetic memory. It's the fact that Penny remembers, that she suggests it.

"Okay then." Her ponytail bobs as she walks and Sheldon can only stare in wonder. It never ceases to amaze Sheldon how thoughtful she is, how easy she accepts every quirk and every habit.

Sure, she sometimes rolls her eyes and uses sarcasm, but Sheldon never sees it as a mark of malice, more like friendly teasing because Penny is feisty and headstrong and very opinionated, but never in a spiteful way.

After much research and plausible deniability, Sheldon has come to terms with the fact that he's fond of Penny, but he already knew that, it's just maybe not in the typical way he views others.

He disregards the internet blogs about chest pains and butterflies – because butterflies are too pretty to be in one's stomach and, if there is a butterfly anywhere under your skin, you should seek the help of a professional.

"Oh, that looks tasty. We should stop there for lunch." Because being with Penny is easy. The earth doesn't shatter and he does not float. He simply is. It appeases him to have her near, he enjoys spending time with her, competing with her, studying and eating with her.

Which is why he's perfectly happy to let things remain exactly as they are. Sheldon knows what romantic entanglements can cause, has seen it destroy countless people – emperors and kings and Wolowitz locking himself in his bedroom and Raj crying on the couch and Leonard blasting grunge music through his earphones.

More importantly, he knows he'd screw it up one way or another and Penny would leave and Sheldon doesn't want that. He wants Penny close by and wants to help her study and have her drive him to the farmer's market and spend afternoon in her apartment making her watch Star Trek DVD's.

Besides, it's perfectly normal for him to have a crush on her, anyone with half a brain would. It's probably just that, a crush, and it will pass and even if he does have feelings for her, that doesn't mean she has some for him. Penny is nice with everyone and, sure, she does have that Sheldon smile, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have other smiles for other people.

"Penny." He says, finally putting on the black suit she had all but thrown on him in the store.

"Yeah?" Her voice is subdued because of the curtains, but he can pick it up pretty easily.

"Are you coming to the banquet?" There's a pause, he circles the tie around his neck. "You're going through all this trouble and I'm sure the food will be worthwhile." Fingers trail on the smooth material. "And, well, I'd appreciate it if you were there." He takes a look at himself in the mirror and makes a face, tugging on the curtain of the dressing room.

Penny raises an eyebrow at the grimace on his face.

"I look like a clown." She rolls her eyes, but there's a smile on her lips and Sheldon thinks it's weird how she avoids his eyes and ducks her head, staring at anything else other than him.

"You look very nice in that suit. I mean, you always look nice…" She takes a breath. "I think you should buy the suit and we can pick a tie, so you can match my dress." Sheldon forgets the clown look and smiles at her.

"I have a batman one at home…"

"I don't have a yellow dress." He's the one to roll his eyes, but he does applaud her for knowing instinctively that the tie is black and yellow.

.

.

Penny is an optimistic kind of gal.

You know, after Leonard's very odd mental breakdown – Penny's read one or two books written by Beverly Hofstadter and has no trouble imagining what mindset the woman raised her children with, but that doesn't mean the place to whine about it is in front of a couple hundred people – Sheldon takes the stage and he doesn't faint.

That's the only good thing that comes out from the whole ordeal, because when Penny suggests that Sheldon take a sip of her drink, she doesn't expect him to guzzle the whole bottle and then end up a drunk mess on stage.

Howard films the whole ordeal, claiming very loudly that he'll upload it all on YouTube for anyone in the back who can't see well enough and Raj can apparently talk to her when he's drunk, which Penny would have been thrilled about if she hadn't had to jump on the podium and keep Sheldon from removing his pants.

Penny thinks it's very opportune that she's strong enough to carry him and during the car ride he keeps mumbling about the dark side of the moon and Uranus (and she snickers a couple of times under her breath because it's pretty funny).

Penny may be optimistic, but she's tired and when they finally reach apartment 4A, she's ready to cuddle on her couch with a blanket and eat ice cream out of the tub using chocolate chip cookies as a spoon.

"Sheldon, you're home." She says softly, trying to reach for the keys in his pocket (Leonard's with Howard, probably uploading said video on YouTube and marveling at how Raj can talk to women while he's drunk, that idiot).

"No, Penny, I feel sick." He whines. "I want to stay with you tonight. I'll take the bed, you can use the couch." A startled laugh escapes her lips because, yeah, that's Sheldon.

"Wouldn't you rather be in your nice, comfy bed? In your Saturday pajamas?" She's almost reached for the keys, but he lurches forward and manages to take a couple of steps towards her apartment.

"Penny, please – pretty, pretty please." Drunk Sheldon equals five-year-old Sheldon. Penny can't help but smile a little and he sees it, takes it as an agreement of some form and tells her to unlock her door.

"Fine." She reaches for her purse. "But I'm sleeping in my bed!" She warns, stabbing her finger in his shoulder just to make a point. He fidgets impatiently, but when she doesn't open the door, he sighs.

"I guess we can share." He relents, like he had a choice to begin with. "I'll smell like vanilla shampoo and green apple body wash, but that's not unpleasant. It smells like you. I like you, Penny." She smiles and unlocks the door.

"I like you too, Sheldon." She helps him stagger his way to the couch and loosens the tie around his neck because she fears he could choke on it. He snatches one of her hands as they retreat and nuzzles his face into her palm.

Penny blinks.

"I love everything about you, Penny. I love the way you make me spaghetti with little pieces of hot dog cut up in it. I love the way you bite your lip when there's something you don't understand. I love the fact that you only use yellow highlighters even if you have four other colors. I love it when you beat me at Halo and the way there's a curl at the back of your head that you can never straighten even though you try."

Penny blinks again.

"I love you, Penny." And then his head shots up, his eyes widen and he holds a finger to his lips and makes a shushing sound. "But that's a secret, you can't tell anyone." Her throat feels dry, but her palms are sweaty and she swallows.

"I won't tell anyone, Sheldon." He beams at her, blue eyes sparkling in the dim light of her apartment and, for a second, she thinks he'll kiss her because he leans very, very close and bam –

Sheldon's head collapses in her lap, his fingers still gripping her wrist, but loosely now and he takes slow, nasally breaths that cause him to snore, his forehead wet with sweat and a few strands of hair sticking to it and Penny –

Penny inhales, exhales and then feels laughter bubble inside of her, causing her to giggle by herself.

* * *

 **a/n: No, you are not dreaming, that is an update! And, what, Sheldon actually made a move on Penny - he was drunk, but that still counts! I can just picture Penny laughing about it while Sheldon snores in her lap, priceless. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this development. Shout out to everyone who took the time to review, that's actually what gave me the inspiration to write this story. I have a one shot to write for the 112th review, which, you know, I'm working on and I think I'll focus on this story before finishing the other ones, but you never know when inspiration will strike.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading and drop a review to tells me what you think. Till next time.**


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